Nate Diaz is spending a lot of time in sparring sessions in preparation for his debut fight. Esquiva Falcao, Nate’s most recent sparring partner, wasn’t overly happy with Diaz’s performance during the session, though.
On August 5, The Problem Child and the MMA veteran are scheduled to square off in the Dallas American Airlines Center. Even though the fight isn’t until two months from now, the MMA and boxing community is already quite excited about the bout.
What did Esquiva Falcao say about Nate Diaz?
During the workout, Diaz was joined by middleweight boxer Esquiva Falcao. The silver medallist from the 2012 Olympics, however, didn’t really provide a good assessment of Nate’s rhythm, durability, and dynamism.
“At first I thought he was tired. In the end it looked like he was dying. His fighting style is crazy. You look at him and say, ‘Oh, he’s tired,’ and then we started sparring.” Falcao said.
‘It looked like he was dying’: 30-0 boxer Esquiva Falcao unimpressed after spar with Nate Diaz https://t.co/cb67hBvRB6 pic.twitter.com/5xlStsJeMO
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) June 16, 2023
The Brazilian boxer, who is set to square off Vincenzo Gualtieri for the vacant IBF middleweight title on July 1st in Wuppertal, Germany, was surprised to see the UFC veteran getting retired too early.
“He was tired, but taking punches and throwing, too. [He] is bad, [he] is bad. Since he’s too heavy, probably around 220 pounds or more. I’m the only big guy in the gym. I had to do it. But I liked doing it.” Falcao added.
Falcao’s record stands 30-0 in his professional career, with 20 of those victories coming by means of knockout. Among the significant triumphs, the 33-year-old boxer beat opponents like Elias Espadas, Jesus Antonio Gutierrez, and Giovanni De Carolis.
Hey Bob what about @esquivafalcao fighting for the IBF title that day? pic.twitter.com/PNjqLIddoH
— Boog Williams (@Ovajay) June 13, 2023
Can Nate Diaz last 10 rounds with Jake Paul?
Given the impact Nate made on Falcao during their joint training session, the question of whether he is actually prepared to last 10 rounds with The Problem Child is pertinent.
“Robert Garcia (Coach) told me in the second round, “He’s tired already, hold back a little bit and keep the rhythm so he does at least 10 rounds. I held back and kept boxing, and we did 12 rounds.” Falcao said.
‼️ Jake Paul is trying to make his fight with Nate Diaz a 10 round fight 😤👀 pic.twitter.com/3tLan2dKvP
— IFN (@IfnBoxing) June 8, 2023
Throughout his MMA career, Diaz has basically fought in the lightweight division (155 pounds), where he accomplished glory and came up with fame.
However, Diaz also participated in the welterweight class (170 pounds) on multiple occasions, so it will be interesting to watch him make his 185-pound debut.
What are your predictions for the bout between Jake Paul and Nate Diaz? Comment below and let us know what you think.
